Can-opener



J. M. BUTCHER.

CAN OPENER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 1920- Patented Nov. 15,. 192k lit)ther extraction or UNITED STATES" PATENT oFFicE.

reruns m. BUTCHER, or CHICAGO, ILLmoIs, assrenon TO KAKIGHI NAKAMURA, or

- CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

CAN-UPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 6, 1920. Serial No 422,119.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMES M.'BU'roH ER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gan-Openers, of

which the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawto be poured therefrom; while at the same time providinga device which will act as a lidor seal for said openings, whenfurpouring of the contents is no longer desired.

My invention relates more partlcularly to a device for use in connectionwith hermetically sealed tin cans containing liquids, such as condensedmilk and the like, which can be readily poured from the can through asuitable sized opening without necessitating the entire removal of thecan-top or end; the device being so formed as to not only provide asuitable opening for the passa e of the liquid from the can, but alsoprovi e one or more openings suflicient to allow the air to enter andthus permit a ready flow of the contents from the can through the firstmentioned or pouring opening.

One object of'my invention is to provide a construction of the charactermentioned which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and whichwill form such relation with the can on which it is used that the devicewill automatically lockitself in place and act as .a suitable lid orcover for the perforations made by it in the can-top and at the sametime provide a suitable grasp or holder whereby easy manipulation andhandling of the can and device during pouring operation is madepossible.

The objects and advantages of my invention will be more readilycomprehended from the detailed description of the accompanying drawing,wherein Fi ure 1 is a plan view of a blank of sheet metal out to providemy improved opener.

Fig. 2 is a. bottom perspective view of the opener stamped or bent intofinal form.

Fig. 3 illustrates, in perspective, the ap l1- cation of my improvedopener to the en or Patented Nov. 15, 1921..

top of a can after forcing the device into I can perforating position.

F g. 1s va partial side and sectional Vie of my Improved pener'shownpplied to a can; beingshown in full lines in closing or sealingpositionand in dotted linesin open or pouring position.

My invention relates to a can opener whereby hermetically sealed cansmaybe provided with suitable apertures or perforations to permit thepouring of the liquid contents therethrough, while at the same timeproviding a device which will act as a lid or seal for the perforationswhen the can is not in use and in the particular exemplification of theinvention as disclosed in the drawing, it consists of asuitable blank ofsheet metal preferably cut so as to pro Vide a substantially rectangularbody portion 10 provided at one end with preferably two spacedextensions 11, -11, intermediate of which is provided a pointedextension 12 of less length than the extensions 11. The opposite end ofthe blank in its preferred form is provided with two spaced extensions13, 13 preferably adjacent the sides and in longitudinal alinement withthe lon- "gitudinal edges of the main portion of the blank. 13, 13isan'extension 14 of greater length than the two extensions 13.

The extensions 11, 11 are intended to be bent substantially at rightangles to the main portion of the blank 10; into the position indicatedin Fig. 3 so as to engage with the side of the can 15 when the device isin use; and in order to obviate the necessity of providing theextensions 11, 11 with a transverse curvature corresponding with thecurvature of the side of the can, I refer to form the extensions 11 atpoints slightly within the planes of the longitudinal edges of the mainportion of the blank 10 as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The extension 12 is V-shape so as to rovide a suitable sharp po ntadapte to puncture the top or end'of the can 15 and provide an openin ofsuflicient size; it being understood, o course, that the pointedextension 12 is also bent substantially at right angles to the mainportion of the blank 10 in adirection similar to that ofthe ex-Intermediate of the two extensions which are disposed in longitudinalaline- I ment with the sides of the main portion of the blank eachprovided with a notch or cut-away portion as at 16, thereby providingeach extension 13 with a shoulder 17 ,see Fig. 1. The extensions 13, 13are also intended to be bent substantially at right angles to the mainportion of the blank 10 and in a direction similar to the direction inwhich the extension at the opposite end of the blank are bent; theextensions 11, 11 and 12 being preferably bent along the dotted lineindicated at 18 in Fig. 1, while the extensions 13, 13 and 14 arepreferably bent along the dotted line indicated at 19 in Fig. 1, namelyat a point intermediate of the ends of the cut-out or notched portions16 so that the shoulder 17 will normally extend flush with theperforations in the can-top. The ends of extensions 13, 13 are likewisemade pointed as indicated in Fig. 1 to enable said extensions topenetrate and perforate the top or end of the can 15 in the mannerindicated in Figs. 3 and 4.

The extension 14 may be given any desired configuration, terminatingpreferably in a substantially circular portion and it is preferably bentin a direction opposite to the other extensions, for example at anobtuse angle to the main portion of the blank, as shown in Fig. 3. Theextension 14 is intended to provide a suitable grasp or handle for thedevice which will enable the user to tilt the opener into the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 by slight downward pressure againstextension 14, at which time the extensions 13, 13 will con stitute thepivotal or fulcrum points for the device, as is clearly evident from theillustration in Fig. 4. The extensions 13, 13 are formed with thecut-out portions or notches 16 in order to provide suitable air-admittlnopenings in the can-top or end whereby su cient air will be permitted toenter the can when the device is tilted into the position indicated indotted lines, Fig. 4, namely into the pouring position when the can isalso tilted'and the puncturing extension or lug 12 withdrawn from itperforation in the can-top. The shoulders 17, formed on the extensions13, will substantially close the perforations in the can-top formed bysaid extensions when the device is in normal position, namely flush withthe can-top as shown in Fig. 3, thereby preventing the ingress of dirt,insects and the like, while the perforations produced by extension 12will, of course, be substantially closed by said extension.

It is evident from the construction shown and described, that theextensions 13, 113 will prevent the accidental removal of the devicefrom the can top when said device has been tilted into pouring positionindicated in Fig. 4, because the extensions 13 will then be disposed toone side ofthe perforations produced thereby and will therefore occupy aposition beneath the can-top as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The. extension or grasp portion 14 may be provided with a suitableaperture, as at '20, whereby the device may be suspended lugs 11overlapping the side of the can and then applying suflicient pressure onthe device to induce the pointed extensions or lugs 12 and 13 topuncture the can-top or end as shown; the lug or extension 12 completelyfilling and therefore substantially sealing the perforation producedthereby when the device is left in position on top of the can, while theshoulders 17 of the extensions 13 will be flush with the lower side ofthe cantop and thus seal the openings produced thereby when the deviceis dropped down into the position shown in Fig. 3. The tilting of thedevice by pressure on the extension 14 causes the shoulders of lugs orextensions 13 to be moved away from beneath the perforations formed bysaidextensions, a distance sufficient to permit proper admission of airand thus enable a flow of the liquid contents from the can through theperforation produced by the extension or lug 12. My improved devicetherefore not only is adapted to properly open hermetically sealed cans,but the device at the same time acts as a cover or lid for theperforated can-top when leftin place, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

T have shown and described what I believe to be the simplest and bestadaptation of my invention, but modifications may be made in certaindetails of construction with-' out, however, departing from the spiritof integral intermediate perforating extension adapted to penetrate thecan-top,.while the opposite end of said blank adjacent oppositelongitudinal sides is provided with a pair of integral pointedextensions, the outer longitudinal edges of said extensions being eachprovided with a notch or cut away portion to provide air-inlets when thedevice is in a tilted position, said extensions being bent at an angleto the main portion of the blank in a direction similar to theextensions at the opposite end of said blank and ata point adjacent toone end of said notches or cutaway portions, and an extensionintermediate of the said last mentioned extensions bent in a directionopposite to said extensions to constitute a handle portion.

2. As an article of manufacture, a rectangular flat blank of sheet metalprovided at one end with integral extensions constituting can-sideengaging and can-penetrating portions, while the other end is providedwith integral extensions constituting canpenetrating and handleportions, the can-' penetrating portions of the last mentionedextensions and all of the first mentioned extensions being bent towardone side of the blank while the handle portion of the last mentionedextensions is bent toward the other side of the blank, the outerlongitudinal edges of the blank adjacent the canpenetrating portions ofthe second mentioned extensions being cut away longitudinally to provideair-admitting passages when the device is tilted about saidcanpenetrating portions and to provide sealing shoulders when saiddevice lies flush with JAMES M. BUTCHER.

the can-top.

Witnesses:

Gr. HEIDMAN, F. A. FLORELL.

